1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a recording apparatus having a carrier capable of holding a recording mechanism detachably.
2. Related Background Art
To replace recording heads, ink cassettes, or the like in a conventional recording apparatus, a mechanism is provided to fix the carrier from the outside so that the carrier is not allowed to move. The fixation is made by coupling a hook member and others with the carrier.
Because of this fixation, the structure of an apparatus becomes inevitably complicated, thus leading to a larger size of the apparatus eventually.
Also, even in a case of the ink jet recording apparat us, on which the demand is on the increase in recent years in place of the wire-dot recording apparatus and the thermal transfer recording apparatus because of its higher recording speed, lesser noises of recording, a lower running cost, and the ease with which to miniaturize the apparatus, among other advantages, the same type of problem as above is encountered when replacing an ink jet recording head, an ink cartridge, or a head cartridge in which an ink jet recording head and an ink tank are integrally arranged.
Furthermore, in an ink jet recording apparatus, the ink discharging port surface of the ink jet recording head is capped with a capping member at the home position. However, there is a possibility that the ink discharging ports and others are damaged because the ink discharging port surface and the capping member to cap this surface are rubbed when the head and others are replaced.